VENEZUELA RESPONDS TO TIER 3 PLACEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001736 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER DEPT PASS TO WHA AND G/TIP COPENHAGEN FOR DLAWTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2031 TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM PREL SMIG VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELA RESPONDS TO TIER 3 PLACEMENT REF: A. STATE 85667 ¶B. STATE 89303 Classified By: Robert Downes, Political Counselor, for Reason 1.4(b). ¶1. (C) After several days of working to arrange an appointment, Poloff delivered 2006 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and mini-plan demarches to BRV Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director for North American and Multilateral Affairs Yaneth Arocha on June 8. Poloff confirmed BRV's criticism of the U.S. report derives in part from a failure to distinguish between alien smuggling enforcement and TIP enforcement. Arocha expressed frustration that this was the third year in a row Venezuela was listed as a Tier 3 country. She dismissed the report's validity due to what she called its unilateral and politicized nature. She also stated the BRV's view is that these types of reports should only come from multilateral institutions. Arocha claimed that in spite of obvious improvements, the Tier 3 placement was simply a part of escalating tensions between the two governments. ¶2. (C) Arocha asked to know what exactly are the "minimum standards" referred to in the report and what criteria is used to determine them. She also asked what sources were used to compile statistics, as they appear to her country as grossly inaccurate. Poloff indicated that U.S. law mirrors the United Nations international protocol on trafficking in persons and referred her to the nonpaper delivered to the BRV, per instructions in reftel b. At the end of the meeting, Arocha did indicate a willingness to review our recommendations with the Ministry of Interior and Justice (MIJ) to see where there may be room for improvement. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: The BRV's initial public reaction to the release of the TIP report and their questions to Department spokesman Sean McCormack led us to believe the BRV is not distinguishing between TIP and alien smuggling. We believe the statistics provided to us in the immediate aftermath of the report's release are not necessarily inaccurate but, as in last year's response, largely pertain to efforts to combat smugglers or coyotes, not traffickers as we define them, and are therefore immaterial. (Post is attempting to work with MIJ to review the statistics provided). Arocha's comments to poloff confirmed our suspicions. The BRV asserts both trafficking and smuggling are businesses involved in moving people, motives notwithstanding. In fact, Arocha expressed incredulity that the BRV could possibly be a Tier 3 country, while countries such as Mexico and Guatemala - two countries with clearly high volumes of people movement - could be ranked higher. These sentiments demonstrate a melding of the illegal immigration/smuggling concern with that of actual trafficking. While it could be an intentional tactic to cover up their TIP deficiencies, it more likely signals the fundamental way they see the issue. WHITAKER